FRESNO — Area law enforcement investigators are asking for the public’s help in trying to solve the apparent shooting death earlier this week of a North Fork man. Police believe the murder occurred Tuesday in central Fresno.According to Fresno County Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Tony Botti, police initially thought that they were responding to a traffic collision when they ...

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK — Is President Trump poised to re-open some U.S. national parks, including Yosemite?“The Trump administration plans to reopen the country’s national parks and other public lands in line with coronavirus guidelines,” the president said on Wednesday, but gave no other details, according to Reuters.“We will begin to open our national parks and public lands for the American ...

OAKHURST — Confused about where to go for COVID-19 screening and testing? If a mountain community resident is extremely ill and can’t drive or be driven to a test site or hospital, health officials advise calling 911. Sierra Ambulance responds to all emergency medical calls in the mountain area — and according to CEO and General Manger Ed Guzman, its ...

MADERA — A newly formed “contact tracing” task force appears to be making a big difference in limiting the spread of COVID-19 in Madera County. The task force is made up of a coalition of local agencies including the Madera County Sheriff’s Office, health department, District Attorney’s Office and Madera County Probation. Madera and Chowchilla P.D. also have members on ...

MADERA — Discussion of a proposed set of new County regulations spelling out how large-scale industrial hemp farming could be rolled out in Madera County was pulled from the Madera County Board of Supervisors’ agenda Tuesday morning — but not before District 5 Supervisor Tom Wheeler blasted the effort so far as “too slow” in developing and, as currently written, ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — Local Realtor Ed Bailey of Ed Bailey Realty in Oakhurst reports that January-through-March 2020 home sales increased significantly compared to sales activity during the same period in 2019. Forty six mountain area homes were sold in Q1 2020, Bailey reported, compared to 36 sales during the same period last year. The median purchase price was $315,875, increasing ...

MARIPOSA — Due to the recent pandemic, Mariposa County residents have found themselves in need of various sanitary products, including such things as: Toilet paper Disinfecting spray Disinfecting wipes Hand sanitizer If you have any of these types of items to spare, please donate them today. Mariposa HHSA will be in charge of distributing the donated items, along with food ...

MADERA — This past week marked a sign-of-the-times milestone for the Madera County District Attorney’s office — on Thursday (April 2) a prosecutor from the DA’s office made the department’s first online court appearance. Under “normal” circumstances, deputy district attorneys must physically go to court to handle cases. However, during this unprecedented pandemic, the Madera County Superior Court is taking ...

NORTH FORK — The North Fork Fire Department Auxiliary’s annual BBQ, scheduled for April 25, has been canceled due to the recent coronavirus pandemic. The event is one of the main sources of revenue for the organization. Those who have contributed to this fundraiser in the past can still help by “contributing whatever you would have if you had attended ...

BASS LAKE — The 2020 Bass Lake Fishing Derby has been canceled, according to a press release issued Wednesday. “We were really hoping to go through with the Fishing Derby this year but had to consider the health and safety of participants, Bass Lake and our mountain community,” said Michelle Miller, owner of Miller’s Landing Resort. “Even though this is ...